Page 5 of All the Pain of Promises
“Sometimes,” Sarelle whispered, pulling Narissa close to her side as they passed a group of haughty nobles with Prince Aspen Willowblade standing among them. “We have no choice but to pretend.”
The prince’s cold green gaze tracked Sarelle’s every movement.
Narissa was well aware of what her friend was implying, of course. Sarelle was trying to catch Prince Aspen’s eye in an effort to learn of his rather secretive plans. There were rumors he intended to overthrow his mother and take the throne for himself, but Narissa knew very little about the matter. She did, however, know that Sarelle agreed to be part of a grand scheme to woo the prince and feign interest in him to earn his favor and, thus, his confidence. It was a dangerous game she was playing, one that could possibly end in a lashing or worse, if she got found out. Especially since the prince was considered cruel beyond measure and in possession of a rather wretched personality. But given the way Prince Aspen’s eyes followed Sarelle through the room, Narissa suspected her plan was working.
Sarelle would gain the prince’s affection, and Ariesian would put a stop to their relationship before an engagement could come to fruition.
But Narissa didn’t want to pretend to be in love with Solarius.
She wanted a love match. Or better yet, she wanted the one to whom she was fated to love her in return.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she muttered, more to herself than Sarelle as her gaze flicked around the ballroom, refusing to linger in one place too long for fear of meeting any knowing stares.
Sarelle clamped Narissa’s hand where it rested in the crook of her arm as they continued their methodical walk about the ballroom. She squeezed gently, offering quiet encouragement.
“I was supposed to fall in love.” Narissa wouldn’t mention that shehadfallen in love and had never quite fallen out, which was why it made Solarius’s betrayal of her heart all the more painful. “I was supposed to marry someone whose soul spoke to mine, whose magic chose mine.”
A sigh escaped from her pinched lungs, like a harbored, fading daydream. “I was supposed to be happy.”
Narissa’s voice broke on the last word, and Sarelle stumbled to a stop as Solarius stepped directly into their path.
Again, Narissa’s breath caught. For an entirely different reason.
It simply was not fair that someone who despised her should be so devastatingly handsome.
Solarius stood before them with his hands shoved into the pockets of his sleek black pants. He wore a slim black coat that accentuated his lean, muscular frame. Beneath the coat was a crisp white shirt and the top three buttons were undone, revealing a glimpse of the constellation tattoo shaped like a trident marking his heart. His hair was mussed, the silver strands with inky black tips were haphazard and windblown, like he’d just stepped in from the beach. He angled his head, his sharp jawline drawing her gaze as he watched her beneath a pair of drawn brows, his eyes molten like liquid silver.
Breaking tides, it would be far easier to continue to loathe him if he wasn’t so ridiculously perfect to look upon. But of course, he would choose that moment to appear, to overhear her distress. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if he attempted to exploit her feelings later. Besides, he’d done far worse already.
“Narissa.” Solarius’s smooth, rich voice caused her stomach to flip and the way he spoke her full name softened her knees. He slipped one hand from his pocket and held it out to her, palm up. “Would you dance with me?”
Before Narissa could object, before she could muster a plausible excuse, Sarelle was already removing Narissa’s hand from her elbow and placing it in Solarius’s offered one. Her smile was kind and reassuring, but it did little to ease the gnawing anxiety that was devouring Narissa from the inside out.
Solarius’s thumb grazed the back of her hand as he led her out onto the ballroom’s main floor, and Narissa bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. He lifted her arm with ease, twirling her once as the beginning strings of a new song hummed through the room. Spinning her into him, his left hand claimed her waist while his right hand clasped her own, extending their arms in preparation for a waltz. He pressed her in close, until her breasts were crushed against the solid wall of his chest, until their bodies were molded to one another, until their breaths mingled. His commanding touch sent a wave of warmth coursing through her veins, a wonderfully splendid sensation, and one she wouldn’t allow herself to enjoy. For it was just as Sarelle had said, sometimes they had no choice but to pretend.
And Solarius Starstorm was putting on one hell of a show.
He guided her into the dance, each step fluid and graceful like they were meant to be in one another’s arms. She ignored the way he wove their fingers together, the way every spin left her lightheaded and longing for an emotion she could never claim. Her gown flowed around them like a sea of aquamarine, and for one fleeting moment, she felt weightless, like Solarius could carry her and she would never have to let go. But then his hand slid to the small of her back, diminishing every shred of space between them, and she sucked in a sharp breath.
Narissa immediately regretted it.
His scent overwhelmed her.
He smelled of delicious citrus, warm spices, and a splash of bay rum. Every so often, she caught a hint of it on the air, whether it be a sifting breeze along Azurvend’s seaside village or lingering in a room long after Solarius had departed. His scent haunted her. Tormented her. Having to spend the remainder of her days with him would be agony. Raw, torturous agony.
His lips grazed her temple as he maneuvered her around the ballroom, and the way his whisper caressed her skin sent her pulse skittering wildly. “Are you unhappy?”
So, she’d been correct in her assumption. Solariushadoverheard her conversation with Sarelle. No matter. Her words were nothing to be ashamed of, and she was allowed to wallow in her feelings of misery and misfortune. She would not, however, express such sentiments to her new husband.
“My happiness was not written into our marriage contract, my lord.” Narissa spoke with an air of indifference, refusing to meet his penetrating gaze. “Therefore, it matters not what I feel, as my emotions are no longer relevant.”
Solarius’s grip on her tightened so severely that she was left gasping. Her eyes flew to his, only to find him glowering with that same kind of disdain she’d seen from him every time they were forced into the company of one another.
“You are mistaken, my lady.” His voice dropped so low she almost couldn’t hear him over the whimsical music. “Your happiness matters greatly, and your emotions will always be relevant.”
“Just not to you,” she snapped, shoving another unbidden memory from her mind. She glared up at him, shielding her heart from his pretty little promises. She’d made that mistake once, she would not do so again. “Do not act as though my feelings matter to you, not when we both know it is the furthest thing from the truth.”
Solarius stilled then, drawing up short in the middle of the ballroom and keeping her firmly in his hold. They were so close to one another, the rise and fall of their chests matched a steady rhythm, and she was certain his heartbeat was a perfect echo of her own. His dark brows narrowed, and she didn’t miss the way his eyes flitted over her face as though he was searching forsomething that was missing. He pressed two fingers beneath her chin, tilting her face up to him.
